Focus 3.3 - Action: Democratic Participation

Vocabulary

Accountability is the act required or expected of a person, organization, or institution to justify actions or decisions; to be responsible.Action is the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim.Agent of Change is one who is empowered to act for, or represent another, or one that acts or has the power or authority to act.Involvement is the fact or condition of being involved with or participating in something.Participate is to take part.Plan is a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something; an intention or decision about what one is going to do.

Purpose - Advocate for Acceptance

The 3-Step-Tool guided the child through the process of identifying a cause worth advocating for. Children then analyzed the situation and defined their involvement as an agent of change. In this sub-unit, children put into action their previous steps, analyze their action plan, and assess its outcomes. As a culmination to the work unit, children present how they first identified that their right to democratic participation involves respecting the right of every child to freedom of expression. They then analyzed the value of embracing the diversity of individuals in a pluralistic society, and acted to negotiate peacefully with others while considering the right of everyone to democratic participation through freedom of expression.

Child Asks: How can I work with my community as an agent of change in the realization of the right to freedom of expression?Children's Rights Education enables the child to act to promote tolerance, acceptance, and respect so that different groups of people can coexist and interact peacefully with each other.Child Answers: Through accountability and education we can coexist peacefully with each other.

Classroom Learning Activities

1. Act to Realize the Right to ExpressionStudents refer to the 3-Step-Tool to Empowerment to guide them as they put into action their advocacy goal/s to help a community realize the right for every child to participate democratically through freedom of expression in this community:

Refer to the goal stated in the previous sub-unit, and determine the plan of action to reach this goal. "How am I going to reach this goal?" or "What do I need to do to reach this goal?" are some questions the children can ask.

Analysis of the Plan: What are the supporting and inhibiting factors in reaching this goal?

Assessment: Children determine how they will know that they have reached their goal. It is important that there be followup to make sure that, indeed, their goal/s have been realized.

Presentation of Advocacy: It is important that children have the opportunity to present their project to others to inspire them to collaborate together to help realize the Convention's rights for every child.

Classroom 3-Step-Tool to Empowerment Material is available for purchase here.

Responsible behaviours guide the child when acting as an agent of change in pursuing the effective realization of the right to expression for every child.

Relevant Convention Articles

Article 121. States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.2. For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law.Article 131. The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child's choice.2. The exercise of this right may be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; or(b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.Article 141. States Parties shall respect the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child.3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.Article 151. States Parties recognize the rights of the child to freedom of association and to freedom of peaceful assembly.2. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of these rights other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.Article 17States Parties recognize the important function performed by the mass media and shall ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources, especially those aimed at the promotion of his or her social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health.To this end, States Parties shall:(a) Encourage the mass media to disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to the child and in accordance with the spirit of article 29;(b) Encourage international co-operation in the production, exchange and dissemination of such information and material from a diversity of cultural, national and international sources;(c) Encourage the production and dissemination of children's books;(d) Encourage the mass media to have particular regard to the linguistic needs of the child who belongs to a minority group or who is indigenous;(e) Encourage the development of appropriate guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material injurious to his or her well-being, bearing in mind the provisions of articles 13 and 18.

Katherine Covell, PhD - Listening to our children (2010): In our hurried world, it is common for much of the communication between parents and their children to consist of the ‘didjas.’ Didja do your homework? Didja brush your teeth? Didja put the cat out? But children have a right to much more than the didjas. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child says that children have a right to have their voices heard, and to have their thoughts solicited and taken into account on matters that affect them. Children have a right to be listened to in their homes, schools, and communities. Read more...